New data show that UK food prices are approaching record levels as the cost of living crisis worsens.
Inflation was 4.3% in February, with prices for delicious snacks, fresh beef and cat food rising fastest, while prices for bacon, beer, lagers and spirits fell, according to Canter.
Sales for the 12 weeks to February 20 were down 3.7% year-on-year, largely due to a tight comparison with the country’s blockade of 2021, according to the Data Research Group. ..
Supermarket sales were 8.4% above pre-pandemic levels, but despite the shift to eating out again, staff returned to the office, resulting in more food on the go.
Fraser McKevitt, Head of Retail and Consumer Insights at Kantar, said:
“In addition to this, continued supply chain pressure and the potential impact of the conflict in Ukraine are set to continue to push up prices paid by consumers.
“Understanding how shoppers are reacting is a complex situation for this month’s market.
“Household spending in supermarkets in February averaged £ 26.07 less, and our brand was selling better than the brand for the first time in three months.”
He added: “It’s important to show that not all monthly spending declines are on a sensible budget.
“With the official end of Covid’s restrictions in the UK, many of us eat on the go, buy sandwiches, salads and snacks during lunch breaks, and enjoy dining with friends and family. In other words, I have less food and drink at home. “
Discount supermarkets, including Aldi and Lidl, have achieved the strongest growth, partly due to the lack of online services and the benefit of shoppers returning to the store with confidence.
Canter added that about 1.3 million customers went to Aldi and another 1 million went to Riddle compared to 2021.
By comparison, 835,000 shoppers have purchased groceries online in the last four weeks, and digital sales now account for 13.3% of total grocery spending, down 2.1 percentage points.
The decline may have been greater, but last month’s Storms Dudley and Eunice had a huge impact on outing shoppers, with weekly shopping trips down by nearly 7 million until February 20th.
Tesco expanded its reach as the UK’s largest supermarket, increasing its market share from 27.4% to 27.7% during the period.
Sainsbury’s, Asda, Morrisons, Co-op and Iceland all lost market share and sales compared to a year ago, while Aldi and Lidl achieved the strongest growth in the 12 weeks to February 20. Sales increased by 3.3% compared to the same. The period of 2021.
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